Is a Windows Phone worth it?

trekfan55

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 29, 2004
11,586
Panama
It's time to buy my teenage daughter a new phone.  I have given up on buying subsidized phones from cellphone operators (don't think it's worth it here in Panama).  She currently has an iPhone 4s, and she does not really want the iphone5 or the 5s.  Recently I bought her a laptop, and she actually liked windows 8 very much, to the point that she is thinking about a Windows phone.
 
It sounds like it has the apps she "needs" (whatsapp, vine, instagram, etc.) but my question to you guys is:  Is it worth the hassle?  Is windows phone going to last and are good apps going to be developed for it?  I ditched blackberry for an unlocked Samsung s4 myself.
 
Any advice anyone?
 

Blacken

Robespierre in a Cape
SoSH Member
Jul 24, 2007
12,152
Windows Phone's future is pretty uncertain because everything that isn't Office or Windows (and Windows Phone isn't Windows, because reasons) is habitually uncertain. Microsoft's bad at communicating what the future of their ecosystem will be and has shown a track record of being willing to burn customers (see the WP7->WP8 transition). Few developers are seriously considering WP8 for more than token implementations and they generally lag behind everybody else.

At this point, I suggest to most people that they should stick to the ecosystem they have. Switching becomes painful once you've paid your money and made your choice. I bought my sixteen-year-old brother an iPhone, because he'd had an iPod Touch.
 

tbrown_01923

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 29, 2006
780
The  photo synch between the phone and the laptop through the sky drive is a nice feature on the windows Phone.  I haven't had an issue finding an app for my nokia windows phone.
 

Boston CyberSox

Member
SoSH Member
WP is a pretty decent OS and has some worthwhile innovations. Live Tiles can be great, but are not a substitute for a notification center, which is sorely lacking, though on the roadmap for the next OS release.
 
The depth or quality of commercial apps on Windows phone doesn't yet compare to iOS or Android, and many developers are not maintaining their WP apps with the same frequency as they are their iOS and Android builds. So, even when you find the same app on Windows Phone, there is often a pretty significant feature gap that has you longing for the iOS or Android version.
 
I switched from iOS to Windows Phone mostly out of curiosity.  I don't dislike the phone, but when I'm ready to upgrade, I'm likely to switch back to iOS.
 

RhaegarTharen

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2005
2,754
Wilmington, MA
This thread couldn't have come at a better time for me.  Just got an email that my company subsidized phone program is dropping Android devices (at least through Verizon) because of security concerns.  (Apparently Andoid is too customizable for their liking). 
 
So my choices are to go back to Apple or switch to a Windows Phone or BlackBerry.  I heard good things about the new BB Z30, and it seemed to compare favorably to my current Droid Maxx from a hardware standpoint, but the App ecosystem looks like shit.  I'm far from an App-elitist, but if a handful of the few apps I really do use aren't available then what the fuck is the point?   Add in the fact that the Z30 price is above the reimbursement threshold and would cost like $30 out of pocket and I'm not sure it makes any sense to go the BB route. 
 
Basic weeding down of the choices based on CNET looks like I'm down to the iPhone 5S, the Lumia 928, or the HTC 8X.   All would be free after reimbursement.  Company plan is fixed unlimited data and price/minute, so plans are not a concern.  The only other factor is that the 5S locks me in for 24 months, while the others are 12 months.  
 
So I'm essentially stuck choosing between a phone that I know will be sufficient and that I would be familiar with (I converted to Android from a 3G a few years back) but that I will be stuck with for 2 years, or taking a gamble on a Windows Phone and seeing how that goes, with the backup that I can switch again in a year (new iPhone, new Windows Phone models, maybe they'll bring Android back by then?)
 
So I'm very interested to hear what people think of Windows Phone 8, and if anyone has any experience with either the Lumia 928 or HTC 8X? 
 

Tim Naehrings Girl

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 13, 2004
2,890
Tavares, Florida
My mother in law has a windows phone and she hates it.  She has had an awful time gettng apps on it.  We were trying to get tango and candy crush and was told they weren't available on her phone.
 

Rustjive

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2009
1,048
Tim Naehrings Girl said:
My mother in law has a windows phone and she hates it.  She has had an awful time gettng apps on it.  We were trying to get tango and candy crush and was told they weren't available on her phone.
This is basically the main issue - any app that's popular at the moment, especially games (Candy Crush, PAD, Flappy Bird,etc.), is likely unavailable on WP. For your everyday consumer, that's usually a dealbreaker.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
30,485
sleepyjose03 said:
So my choices are to go back to Apple or switch to a Windows Phone or BlackBerry. 
 
So this is coming from someone who is not a huge IOS fan, so take it for what it's worth.
 
I have a Nokia 1020 and I really like the phone.  Is it perfect?  No, but I don't think any OS platform is perfect and Windows OS does for me what I need it to.  I think it's Outlook integration is better than IOS and I also like the ability to run Office of the phone.  Plus, the bigger screen is better than IOS so I can type marginally better.
 
Yes, there are things I don't like about it - the lack of a true "back" button is one, but for what I need to do with my phone, it does at least as good as my IPhone if not better (as mentioned above).
 
Plus the Nokia 1020 camera is best in class.
 
I would definitely recommend Windows Phone over Blackberry, unfortunately (I do miss my Blackberry on occasion), because who knows what is going to happen to that company.
 
Finally, perhaps this shouldn't influence my purchases but it does - I'm a big believer that having a third ecosystem in the smartphone arena is a great benefit.
 

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
7,877
Boston, MA
If you do get one, make sure it's a Nokia. HTC and Samsung barely support their older Android phones; you're never getting helped with one of their Windows Phones.
 

RhaegarTharen

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2005
2,754
Wilmington, MA
Thanks guys - went with the Nokia Lumia 928 (Verizon's branded version of the 920 model).  Unfortunately none of the newer models were available under my corporate program, but that actually made my decision easier.  Since the non-iPhones come with only a 12 month contract I figured I can live with a trial run of the Lumia for a year, and then I can either upgrade to a newer Windows Phone, or switch to the next gen iPhone (or maybe even Droid if they work out their issues with KitKat by then). 
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
30,485
sleepyjose03 said:
Thanks guys - went with the Nokia Lumia 928 (Verizon's branded version of the 920 model).  Unfortunately none of the newer models were available under my corporate program, but that actually made my decision easier.  Since the non-iPhones come with only a 12 month contract I figured I can live with a trial run of the Lumia for a year, and then I can either upgrade to a newer Windows Phone, or switch to the next gen iPhone (or maybe even Droid if they work out their issues with KitKat by then). 
 
 
Congrats. Couple of tips that might help. First, it helps to back out or close apps frequently as the way the OS is set up apps open on top of each other.
 
and when I want to reply to a post here on SOSH, it's a lot easier to do it with the full editor.;-)
 
 
 

Bernie Carbohydrate

writes the Semi-Fin
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 2, 2001
4,047
South Carolina via Dorchestah
I have the Nokia 521 (the T-Mobile version of the 520).  It was dirt cheap because Windows is trying to get some market share.
 
I don't mind the lack of "Candy Crush" type apps--I don't play many games, don't need social media on my phone.  I am old.
 
Camera is very good.
 
Turn off "wifi calling" when you want to send a text.  Better to just leave wifi calling off unless you really need to make a call and you have no bars on your network.
 
Having the MS office suite is very cool.
 
I wish they had a reliable dropbox app -- hope that is coming.
 
Excellent mp3/podcast management system.
 
Overall, I'm happy, especially since I brought it for cash and didn't have to extend my contact to gt it on a deal.  I was a BlackBerry guy for a long time before this (like I said, I am old).
 

Tony C

Moderator
Moderator
SoSH Member
Apr 13, 2000
13,694
be great to keep this thread alive with impressions of those who have a Windows phone. I've been intrigued with it from the start: love the interface and now love the idea of the camera, which sounds truly legit, and the idea of having the Microsoft Suite on there is appealing. Am not too app dependent (could give a shit about games), but obviously things like dropbox are must haves.
 
My current Iphone 5 contract expires in November so thought I'd keep my eyes open until then to see if want to re-up on that or move to Windows. It seems to be establishing a solid niche in the market so perhaps the apps will start to fill in.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
30,485
Tony C said:
be great to keep this thread alive with impressions of those who have a Windows phone. I've been intrigued with it from the start: love the interface and now love the idea of the camera, which sounds truly legit, and the idea of having the Microsoft Suite on there is appealing. Am not too app dependent (could give a shit about games), but obviously things like dropbox are must haves.
 
My current Iphone 5 contract expires in November so thought I'd keep my eyes open until then to see if want to re-up on that or move to Windows. It seems to be establishing a solid niche in the market so perhaps the apps will start to fill in.
 
Not sure what to say about Windows Phone.  I suspect that many WP users are like me - I use my phone a lot (for business) but I don't need it to book travel reservations for me or get me a ride or figure out who I can hook up with.
 
Although WP 8.1 is going to be a major upgrade so perhaps we will have more to say then.
 
Rustjive said:
This is basically the main issue - any app that's popular at the moment, especially games (Candy Crush, PAD, Flappy Bird,etc.), is likely unavailable on WP. For your everyday consumer, that's usually a dealbreaker.
 
Ironically, while Flappy Birds is no longer available on google play or ITunes, there is a version (perhaps not original) available in WP Store:  http://winsource.com/2014/02/09/flappy-bird-windows-phone/.  Irony!